I couldn’t get more than a few pages into the book before losing interest. I was slightly curious about the movie, but it sounds like it may be similar to the book in that respect.
Bill is the B-plot and even then it isn’t about his plays in general but Hamlet being his dealing with grief about his son.
We don’t even hear the name “Shakespeare” until near the end.
His 3 children perform the opening scene of Macbeth, though.
SEND HELP!!!
Absolutely awesome Sam Raini-style thriller fun! It is not supernatural in any way like Evil Dead or DMtH. Saw it twice. Rachel McAdams is a much better actress than I thought. Same for Dylan O’Brien.
9/10. Go see it. Don’t need the 3D version. Standard is fine.
It seems pretty clear that you know this, but it’s not “Sam Raimi-style,” it’s Sam Raimi. He directed it.
I wonder how well Sam Raimi would do in a Sam Raimi lookalike contest…
A Spielberg film directed Spielberg style by Spielberg is Spielberg-style. 
Starting to think you two would be great in A Simple Plan— Sam Raimi style also.
Technically correct (the best kind of correct), but such a film would usually just be described as a Spielberg film.
I know. But I’ve worked post production in Hollywood since 2001. “-esque” is used when someone mimics the style.
Is Sam Raimi mimicking himself? Am I in a Taking Heads song?
I didn’t used -esque. PAY ATTENTION!
Thank fuck you guys don’t read scripts. “Hang on. The script says I’m ‘possessed’, but I hardly own anything!”
A Simple Plan is Coen Brothers-style.
Not in the least when wife is shot. It’s a terrifying yet hilarious shot, much like the aide being slapped by invisible spirits in Drag Me to Hell. Blown away is the right description. 
I saw “The Conversation” (1974) a week ago in a small theatre despite seeing it a handful of times over a 25-yr period. Too many people talking and too many phones going off.. I’ll never do that again,
Very much so. One might say it’s Coen-esque, Raimi style. 
IIRC, Raimi actually asked the Coen brothers for advice about photography in the bright-snow scenes, because they’d tackled just that problem in Fargo. So in a sense, the Coen brothers were at least marginally involved in the film.
But yeah, the whole vibe is very much Coen brothers.
Raimi was also a credited screenwriter alongside the Coens on The Hudsucker Proxy, whose influence is all over the first Spider-Man film.
Sam Raimi was credited as second unit director of the Hudsucker Proxy, and created the “hula hoop” sequence (which is essentially a short movie within the movie) independently. Note his inclusion of Bruce Campbell as one of the marketing guys.
Raimi was involved waay before that with the Coen Brothers, they co-wrote his next film after Evil Dead 2, the madcap, very much crazy Coenesque Crimewave. This was way before the Coens were big, after they’d made Blood Simple.
Watched Life of Chuck (Hulu). Liked it. On Rotten Tomatoes it was popular with audiences, but the Top Critics were mostly skeptical— lots of D to B- grades.
The characters were easy to sympathize with. There were many moments of King pointedly avoiding cliches. The supernatural elements were introduced gradually and kept me interested start to finish.
As for the Big Concept, I didn’t buy it, but didn’t mind. One part of it was more enjoyable in Big Fish. Another part of it I didn’t care for in Stranger Than Fiction, but liked better here. I haven’t watched a huge number of King-based films, but it seems the set-ups are often good, even if the explanation feels jerry-rigged.
I went in with low expectations and had a good time. If I’d paid money to see it in a theater, I might have been disappointed.
Overall, a pleasant B+ film. More enjoyable than a lot of A- movies.
@TRC4941
Last night we watched Burnt Offerings, a horror movie from 1976 starring Karen Black, Burgess Meredith, and Lee Montgomery. I had read the book and always wanted to see the movie. I was not disappointed, I absolutely loved it! (Husband did not love it, but he was cranky because it was past his bedtime.)
It was a slow burn. However, the first pool scene was truly disturbing to me, and there was another actor with a small part who was just amazing! Anthony James, what a terrifying smile he had.
Of course, the idea that anyone would take on the care of a strange old lady just to get a cheap vacation rental is ludicrous, but get past it and enjoy this one. Recommended.